


On a Night like This

by MouseBouse



Series: There's Something in Your Eyes [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Post-Episode: s01e13 Morning Star, Understanding Magnus, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 06:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6644569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MouseBouse/pseuds/MouseBouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Alec and Magnus finally go on their first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I, like many others, have very strong feelings about TV!Alec and Clary's friendship, and about the whole Magnus's-magic-going-bat-shit-when-he's-with-Alec idea, so both of those show up here :)
> 
> Title from [Hilary Duff's Night Like This (ft. Kendall Schmidt)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmzyaSjI89s).
> 
> My Tumblr is [here](http://mousebouse.tumblr.com) if you want to talk.

Alec had been to Magnus’s apartment several times. He first went over when they needed to summon the memory demon, then there was the time with Luke and the cocktails and the spending-the-night, after that he needed to ask for help with Izzy’s trial, then they had the… _conversation_ … before his (failed) wedding to Lydia. 

This, though, was the first time he’d visited Magnus with no reason other than to see him. 

The Institute was hectic at the moment. Valentine had the Mortal Cup and was, presumably, using it to create an army to fight Downworlders and Shadowhunters alike. Jace was at his side, and although Alec knew why he’d decided to go with him, his _parabatai_ ’s choice wasn’t one he was comfortable with. Especially given the emotions their still-a-bit-weak bond was letting through – Jace wasn’t disgusted by his father’s actions, no, he was... he was _okay_ with everything Valentine was doing, he was disgusted with _himself_. Furthermore, Alec’s parents were still against his _attachment_ to Magnus, and were very vocal about it. And then there was Clary. Clary, whom he thought he would hate, but ended up caring for. Clary, who was devastated after Jace left. Clary, whose mother was now safe and sound and _awake_ , but even that couldn’t bring her back from the shell she was closing herself in.

And as if all that weren’t enough, his mind was still thinking about what Camille had said. He knew he shouldn’t let her words get to him; he’d known Magnus was immortal before she’d pointed it out, he’d even mentioned it to the warlock once, but it seemed different, somehow, now. But Magnus was right, neither one of them could see the future. And with how messed up everything was right now, it was quite debatable whether any of them even _had_ a future at all.

So Alec decided to push all of that aside for a while and officially ask Magnus on that date that has been evading them ever since they first met. Magnus agreed, obviously, and invited him to his loft, promising good food, great drinks, and amazing company.

Once there, Alec let himself inside, wondering for a second if the front door was always unlocked or if Magnus had enchanted the wards so they would allow Alec, _specifically_ , to enter. He’d have to ask about that, some time. Not now, though. Now, there were more pressing matters to deal with. 

The first of them being the smell that was coming from the apartment. The smell of… cooking? Food? _Delicious_ food, not the kind that the Institute’s kitchen smelled of after Izzy’s attempts at making dinner. (The funny thing was, his sister’s cooking skills weren’t even that bad. But when they were kids and she tried making something for the first time – their parents had been in Idris, and it had been late at night so no other adults they could ask for something to eat had been around – he and Jace agreed to pretend it was horrible. It was meant to be a one-time joke, but ended up being a recurring one for over a decade.)

Alec walked into the kitchen, one of the (few) rooms of the loft that he hadn’t seen yet, and saw Magnus moving around purposefully, gracefully, _magically_ , just like he always did. The warlock didn’t seem to notice him, as he continued stirring and chopping and adding just a bit more spice to the pot on the stove. 

Alec took the chance to look him over for a second. He didn’t usually allow himself to check people out, mostly because the _people_ he wanted to check out were exclusively _male_. But now that, as he’d told his mother, everything was out in the open, he could, and he _would_.

Magnus was wearing a green button down and purple jeans, both much less extravagant than his usual outfits, but much more tight, not that Alec noticed, of course. His hair was up like always, the few pink highlights that were there for the wedding gone, the cuff back on his left ear where it usually was.

“Something smells good,” Alec said then, and Magnus wheeled around, slightly surprised at first, but covering that up quickly with one of his flirty smirks.

“It’s one of my favorite fragrances. The scent would be stronger if you came closer, though,” he said, his head cocking to the side as he tapped the spot on his neck where Alec assumed perfume had been applied.

The Shadowhunter rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless, “You know I meant the food.”

Magnus shrugged and winked at him.

“I didn’t expect you to be cooking tonight,” Alec said. “I thought you’d, you know,” he snapped his fingers in the air like Magnus did when using magic, “just make everything appear.”

“I do that most of the time,” he replied, “but some occasions are worth the effort.”

This made Alec’s cheeks heat up. He should be used to Magnus saying things like that by now, but he wasn’t. He’d never done this before. The whole relationship thing, if that’s what this was. Even flirting was new to him. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t like it. Magnus’s attention had been unexpected, at first, but still rather enjoyable, especially now that he let himself have it.

“Alexander? Are you okay?” Magnus asked, standing only a step away from him now, the food moved from the stove to the counter, and Alec realized he must have been caught up in his thoughts for a while if Magnus was done with the cooking. He must have been _really_ caught up in them not to notice the other moving. So much for a skilled warrior.

“I’m fine, sorry,” he said, looking at the man in front of him. He _could_ have this, couldn’t he? He deserved something, some _one_ for himself, didn’t he? “Can I— Would— Would it be okay if I kissed you?” He asked, nervously, stuttering a bit, just like he almost always did when Magnus was near.

Said warlock raised his eyebrows and chuckled. That was new, _chuckling_. “I don’t remember you asking for permission last time,” he teased, referring to Alec’s walk away from the altar and to Magnus, the grabbing of the lapels on his coat, the firm and decisive joining of their lips. 

“I couldn’t think then,” Alec admitted. “I just… I saw you there and I couldn’t think, I couldn’t _breathe_ , and I remembered---” He cut off, and Magnus waited. “I remembered what you said before, about losing your breath near someone you care about.” Those weren’t Magnus’s exact words, they both knew it, but it was too soon for _love_ , that’s not what this was. It could _become_ that, maybe, but they weren’t there yet. “And I had to kiss you, I couldn’t resist. But now I’m _asking_ if I can do it again.”

Magnus smiled at him before nodding, and that was all Alec needed. He leaned in, or _down_ , as it were, since Magnus wasn’t wearing any shoes at the moment, which put Alec a good four inches above him. Their lips brushed together, more gentle than that first time, and Alec caught himself shivering. He couldn’t feel this then – he’d been preoccupied by his racing heart and the general feeling of _closeness_ – but now, when they were alone, when there was no rush, no life-altering decisions, he felt it all. He felt every nerve ending in his lips react to Magnus’s, he felt their synchronized movements (Should they even be this in sync already?), he felt Magnus tilting his head to the side, he felt a tongue swipe across his bottom lip and teeth tugging at that same spot, he felt the moan that left his throat at that, he felt the smirk on the other's lips, he felt the heat radiating off of Magnus’s body, he felt the warlock’s shirt wrinkling under his hands where he’d put them on the small of his back, he felt--- no, he _didn’t_ feel Magnus’s hands on him. 

Alec pulled back, blinking several times to come back to reality, before saying, his voice a bit deeper than it had been prior to the kiss, “You _can_ touch me, you know.”

Magnus seemed as dazed as him when he responded, quite eloquently, “What?”

“Your hands. Last time, they were near my waist, but you barely even touched me, and you’re not doing it now. Why?”

That was all the incentive Magnus needed, apparently, as his hands _did_ find purchase on Alec’s hips, then. “I didn’t want to scare you off,” he said simply.

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’re new to all this, Alec. I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with.”

Alec sighed dramatically. “I came out to my parents by kissing a male Downworlder at my wedding to a female Shadowhunter. I’m pretty sure the definition of what I’m comfortable with has changed a bit, lately,” he smirked.

“Alright then, noted. Now, how about dinner? It would be a shame for all my hard work to go to waste, would it not?” Magnus said, stepping away.

Alec pulled him back for a second to kiss the spot on his neck that the warlock had indicated earlier. “You _do_ smell incredible, by the way.”


	2. Chapter 2

Honestly, Magnus was getting whiplash from Alec. 

One day, the Shadowhunter would be a confused, stuttering, insecure mess, which Magnus found quite endearing, but the next… oh, the next, Magnus found quite _attractive_! Something would change, like a switch being flipped in his head, and Alec would be confident, determined, even _coy_ , which was supposed to be Magnus’s forte.

Magnus wasn’t complaining, not in the slightest. 

He liked not knowing which Alec he would get the next time he saw him, it helped his life-is-an-adventure policy, and it would seem that on their first date, he was getting every possible version of the boy.

In the first five minutes of their interaction, Alec had gone from happy to shy to interested to demanding to… it was hard to keep track. 

They’d sat at the table and ate the dinner that Magnus had prepared. It was basically four different types of cuisine mixed into one meal, and it turned out quite tasty. He may have magicked some cupcakes for dessert, but the main course was entirely magic-free. Apart from the onions. Those had been cut up by a flick of his wrist. What? He was wearing make-up whose waterproofness (or _tear_ proofness, rather) he didn’t want to test.

Alec had offered to help with the dishes once they had finished eating, but Magnus refused, once again showing the Shadowhunter how useful having a warlock around was – the plates were cleaned faster than you could say _abracadabra_.

They went to the main room after that. Alec made himself comfortable on the couch, and Magnus walked to the bar and poured them drinks before joining him. He may have sat much closer than was strictly necessary, given the size of the sofa, but Alec didn’t seem to mind.

The Shadowhunter was wearing a deep red T-shirt, which Magnus assumed was probably the most colorful item in his we’re-called- _Shadow_ hunters-so-we-have-to-be-dark-like-shadows wardrobe. His dark blue jeans were a bit too long (How can someone so tall have pants too long?) and were almost dragging on the floor now that he’d taken his shoes off, and his hair was sticking up in each and every direction, as always.

The conversation that had flowed quite easily during dinner seemed to have come to a halt now, so they drank in silence, until Alec finally spoke.

“Can I ask you something? It’s personal,” His voice was quiet, Magnus noticed. Shy-Alec was back.

“Of course,” Magnus said, “although I can’t promise to give you an answer.” After all, not everything about him was a first-date kind of story.

“What’s your warlock mark?”

Magnus wasn’t sure what he’d expected – possibly an immortality-related question, since that conversation was never finished – but this wasn’t it. “That _is_ very personal, Alexander.”

“You don’t have to tell me, I was just… curious, I guess.” 

“You could have seen it for a second when we first met, when I was fighting that Circle member.”

“I was kind of focused on putting an arrow through his leg.”

The warlock closed his eyes for a second, composing himself and letting the glamour wash away. When he opened them, he heard Alec’s sharp intake of breath and his heart hurt. This would be the moment when Alec realized he’d made a mistake, that Magnus wasn’t the right choice, not because he was a man, but because of what his parents had warned him of – he was a Downworlder. He looked at Alec, ready for rejection, only to see his eyes wide in awe, his mouth open slightly.

“Cat eyes,” Alec murmured, “makes sense, really.”

“It does?” Magnus inquired, not sure what Alec had in mind.

“Yeah. When you do magic, or walk, or even just talk, you have these movements, these gestures, like… they’re so graceful, so precise. Kind of like a lion, I guess.”

“I prefer tigers, actually,” he responded, a small smile tugging on his lips. Alec wasn’t disgusted by his warlock mark, by _him_.

“And,” Alec continued, “Clary _did_ say you owned cats in that alternate reality she visited.”

“Oh, really?” Magnus said, curious, “And you know this, why?”

Alec shrugged. “I asked her about it.”

“And she just happened to tell you about _me_?” Magnus teased, his smile turning into a one-sided smirk.

“I… I might have asked a specific question?” He wasn’t looking at Magnus anymore. “It’s just… after what Camille said about, you know, your immortality, and after our talk at the Institute, I wasn’t sure about this,” he waved a hand between them, “but then I talked to Clary, and she said that she noticed the alternate versions of us being interested in each other, and, I don’t know, I figured, if it happens in more than one universe, it’s got to be worth a shot.” 

Magnus was dumbfounded. This might be the most words Alec had ever said in one go, and it was probably the most honest he’d been. He said the only thing that came to mind.

“Not to repeat your words, but would it be okay if I kissed you?”

He didn’t get a chance to – Alec’s lips were already on his.

Soon, though, the Shadowhunter pulled back to put aside the drinks that were still in their hands, and Magnus used the opportunity to make a confession.

“They’re not my only mark, you know.”

Alec’s head turned so quickly, Magnus thought _he_ would be the one with whiplash, after all. 

“You have more?”

“One more. But showing it to you would require pulling my shirt up, and I don’t take clothes off on a first date. It’s a rule of mine.”

“Has that always been a rule or are you still trying not to make me uncomfortable?” Alec asked. “Because I’m not. Uncomfortable, that is.”

Magnus fake-gasped, “Alexander! You _want me_ to take my clothes off?” 

“I _want_ to see your warlock mark,” he retorted, his voice making him seem much more confident than his slightly-blushing features would suggest. When Magnus didn’t move, he added, “Only if you want to show me, of course.”

He _did_ want to show him, but yellow eyes were one thing, the lack of a bellybutton was another. Still, he got up from the couch and stood in front of Alec so that the latter’s eyes were level with the mark that he was about to display. Magnus pulled up his shirt a bit, revealing smooth skin and abs that he was quite proud of, considering his exercise regimen lately consisted only of running around New York City helping Nephilim in need.

“That was… unexpected,” Alec said, before raising a hand to touch the place where Magnus’s bellybutton should be. Magnus shuddered and closed his eyes for a second. “How does that even work? I mean, we don’t really learn a lot about biology as children, but I do know that this is an important part of, like, the development of a baby.”

“Alec, I’m half-demon.” Magnus shrugged, “We don’t exactly develop like normal babies.”

Alec seemed to have a response to that, but his phone started ringing, the default ringtone echoing in the quiet room. He pulled it out and rolled his eyes at the caller ID, and Magnus had to wonder how they’ve never gotten stuck on the wrong side of his skull with all the rolling he did with them.

“Hello, mother,” Alec answered the call sternly.

Magnus couldn’t hear Maryse’s words, but Alec’s replies were enough to have him rolling _his_ eyes, as well.

“I’m at Magnus’s.” Silence. “Yes, _still_.” Silence. “No.” Silence. “You asked me that before I left.” Silence. “If something had changed, I would’ve called Izzy.” Silence. “I _do_ want to get Jace back.” Silence. “I’m not risking it.” Silence. More silence. _More_ silence. Wow, Maryse must be in the middle of a lecture. Then, “Yes, I know it’s important. But for once, there really isn’t anything I can do, so I’d like to enjoy my _date_ now.” He hung up, not waiting for an answer, and put the phone on the coffee table, looking at it as if it might bite.

“Let me guess,” Magnus said, finally sitting back down next to Alec. “You should be looking for Jace instead of being with me?”

“Yup. They’ve been asking me to track him through my _parabatai_ rune for days now, but I can’t. He and I are okay again, but our bond is still not back to full strength. I can feel he’s alright, though. Or _alive_ , at least.”

He moved then, his hand taking the one resting on Magnus’s thigh. _This was new_ , Magnus thought. He leaned against the back of the couch, and Alec followed him, resting his head on the warlock’s shoulder and sighing contently as he intertwined their fingers. Sparks of magic flew from Magnus’s fingertips then, blue light jumping around them, and Alec made a noise between a laugh and a hum.

“What was _that_?” He asked.

“Honest answer, or one that won’t make you uncomfortable?” Not waiting for a reply, he said, “That was my body reacting to yours. You know how some people, _mundanes_ mostly, say their heart _skipped a beat_? Well, my magic does _that_. It can get a bit out of control in situations like this if I’m not careful.”

Alec seemed to be thinking that over for a moment. “Do I even want to know what ‘ _a bit out of control_ ’ entails?” He asked, raising his head to look at Magnus’s eyes, which were still deglamoured, and squeezing his hand tightly, causing more sparks to flow out. Some of them hit Alec’s phone that was still on the table and it disappeared. “What---?”

“I’m pretty sure it just materialized next to your mother at the Institute,” Magnus said, his expression torn between apologetic and cocky. “And now you know what it entails.”

Alec shook his head in disbelief before lowering it again, this time to Magnus’s chest, listening to the warlock’s racing heartbeat, and Magnus kissed the top of his head, dark hair tickling his face.  
 


	3. Chapter 3

Alec wasn’t sure how it happened, really. One moment, his head was on Magnus’s chest, their fingers interlaced, everything about their position innocent, _chaste_. And then, suddenly, he was on his back on the couch with Magnus above him, his legs between Alec’s, hands on either side of Alec’s head holding the rest of his body up.

He made a startled noise at the change, and Magnus asked, worried, “Is this alright? Do you want me to move?”

Truthfully, Alec didn’t know what he wanted. He liked this new arrangement, liked the feeling of the warlock on top of him, but the implications of their position, the _possibilities_ … he wasn’t sure he was ready for those. He was aware that some people would find that ridiculous - he was a grown man, for the Angel's sake - but it's not like he'd ever really had any opportunity to have those _experiences_ , what with being closeted up until a week ago.

“Alec?” Magnus prompted.

“Don’t move,” Alec said, finally. “You just surprised me, that’s all.” It _was_ true. Mostly. 

Deciding not to worry about things they might not even get to tonight, he leaned up to kiss Magnus slowly, and raised a hand to his hair, pushing it through the spikes there. He’d expected to be stopped by hair gel that was keeping it in place, but his fingers glided through the locks. _Warlock magic_ , of course, he should have seen that coming. He chuckled against Magnus’s lips and the latter pulled back.

“Care to share?” He asked, putting a kiss to the corner of Alec’s mouth as he waited for a response.

“Nothing, you’re just so… _you_ ,” Alec said, taking in the shimmering eyeshadow he could finally see up-close, and the eyeliner that was so perfectly symmetrical that even Isabelle would be jealous if she saw it, and the eyes that… well, it might seem weird, but those feline eyes really did something for Alec, and he was definitely glad Magnus wasn’t hiding them from him.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Magnus smiled at him, and if he didn’t know better, he would describe the warlock’s smile as _bashful_.

Alec used the hand still in the other’s hair to bring him closer and kiss him again while his other settled on Magnus’s hip. Magnus lowered himself slowly, careful not to rest too heavily on Alec, and used his now free hand to stroke down the Shadowhunter’s ribs and to his thigh, squeezing there. This caused Alec’s hips to jerk up, and he groaned at the unexpected contact. 

Soon, their kisses turned from slow and gentle to bruising, with tongues and teeth and gasps and moans, and Alec’s hand found its way under the warlock’s shirt, nails dragging along the curve of his spine. His other tugged at Magnus’s hair, pulling him away so Alec could kiss down his throat and graze his teeth across his Adam’s apple. He had no idea where the urge to do that had come from, but from the moan and the movement of hips he got as a reaction, he assumed it had been a good decision.

Magnus moved then, sucking on Alec’s earlobe before moving down his neck, alternating between leaving quick wet kisses and nipping at the skin there. Alec moved both his hands to the front of Magnus’s shirt, struggling to unbutton it. Magnus was busy sucking a hickey at the base of his throat, his hand moving from Alec's thigh to his ass while the other worked on the Shadowhunter's belt buckle. 

They were both panting, and Alec was working on the last two buttons of the warlock’s shirt, and then reality caught up with him.

“Remember— Ugghh, _Magnus_ … that thing about me being uncomfortable?” At Magnus’s hum, he continued, “Yeah— I think we should stop.”

Magnus was off him in an instant, moving down the couch to sit next to Alec’s feet, his chest moving rapidly, pupils wide even in his cat eyes as he looked at Alec. “You okay?” He asked, already buttoning his shirt back up with a snap of his fingers.

The Shadowhunter sat up slowly, his breathing as heavy as Magnus’s. He reached over, taking Magnus’s hand in his. “Yeah, just… I don’t… I can’t…” He seemed to be at a loss for words.

“I understand,” Magnus replied. “I’m sorry, I should have—"

“No, _I’m_ sorry, it’s not— I like _this_ , I just don’t think we should go any further. I don’t know if I…” Alec drifted off again, obviously frustrated with himself for not being able to articulate what he felt. 

“Alexander, I _understand_ ,” Magnus repeated, assuring him. “You don’t have to explain.” He moved closer again and cupped Alec's face gently so he would have to look at him. “What do you want to do?”

“What do you mean?” Alec sounded confused.

“Do you want to talk, or watch a movie, maybe, or keep doing what we were doing?” He glanced at the clock. “It isn’t too late, but we could just go to bed.” He saw Alec’s eyes widen and realized his choice of words may not have been the best given their current situation. “Nothing untoward, I promise.” After a second, he added, “Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time you spent the night here.”

Alec took a second to compose himself, only then feeling the slight ache in his back from the couch, “Yeah, the bed sounds like a good idea.”

Magnus got up and pulled Alec up by their still-connected hands. The Shadowhunter stood and looked around the room, his brow furrowing as he noticed a change in the apartment. “When did _that_ happen?” 

The warlock followed his gaze to see several burn marks on the floor, new wallpaper, and, most interestingly, three cacti suspended from the ceiling. 

He laughed an honest, surprised laugh. “Maybe what I said about my magic getting _a bit_ out of hand was an understatement.”

 

When Magnus woke up the next morning, he was alone in bed and he was certain he hadn’t fallen asleep that way. After laughing at the situation that had presented itself in the lounge, he and Alec had moved to the bedroom. Magnus had summoned a change of clothes from Alec’s room in the Institute (he would have to fix up the wards – it had been too easy for his magic to get through them) before changing into yellow silk pajamas and crawling into bed, closely followed by the young Shadowhunter. 

Alec had snuggled up close to him, putting an arm across Magnus’s waist, his head in the crook of the warlock’s neck, and Magnus had wrapped his own arms around the Shadowhunter, one of his hands playing with his hair until sleep had claimed them.

Now, Magnus padded softly to the lounge, noticing that a cactus had fallen during the night and the floor was full of tiny spines. He snapped his fingers and the mess was gone, sent to the Nazca Desert. He was _almost_ positive that’s where it had originally come from. 

Looking around, he noticed a piece of paper on the couch and went to investigate. 

A smile spread across his face as he read the note.

_Magnus_  
_I had to go back to the Institute, sorry._  
_Last night was fun._  
_Thank you. For everything._  
_Second date? Soon?_  
_~~Alec~~ Alexander_  
_P.S. Please get rid of those evil cacti._


End file.
